Along with cool air and pumpkin spice treats, fall brings horror, and lots of it. Over half of young adults from ages 18-29 report liking or loving horror media according to Statista. Still, not everyone is a fan. Some claim that horror is harmful, desensitizing audiences to violence and disturbing topics. While that argument seems like it might have merit, it ignores a lot of the nuances of the genre.
Horror occupies a similar niche as dystopias, critiquing contemporary society by taking certain aspects of it to their logical extremes. The separation from reality allows an audience to really consider the impact something they may not ordinarily consider. What makes horror effective is that it evokes fear and disgust which stick with audiences for a long time.
The Magnus Archives is a prime example of this. Over 200 episodes it tackles many complicated topics, with the easiest to discuss being its criticism of the true crime community. The issue is first addressed in episode nine, A Father’s Love. The statement is from the daughter of a famous serial killer explaining supernatural connections that might have motivated the murders. Her father had recently died, and she felt she could finally share her experiences without them being sensationalized.
Episode 109, Nightfall, is about the same woman under much less favorable conditions. She tried everything to live a normal life, but no one could ever seem to forget who her father was. She ended up ostracized from society and committing supernatural murders that weren’t unlike her father’s. In doing so she was finally able to find the community society denied her.
What makes her story so chilling is the familiarity of her circumstances. From podcasts to YouTube videos to Netflix documentaries, true crime is everywhere. Perpetrators gain notoriety and their loved ones are subjected to the same level of attention. Is it so unthinkable that one day, one of these people could snap under the pressure? Is it fair to ask so much of them in the first place? Fantastical elements make the issue more approachable while hearing things from the woman’s perspective invites people to empathize with her.
Though the series is incredibly well done, it’s far from the only one to discuss real world issues. Other Words For Smoke deals with themes of child neglect, divorce, and the burying of uncomfortable history. Hell Followed With Us takes place in a post-apocalyptic world caused by a fundamentalist Christian terrorist group while relying their rise to power. Because horror is meant to be uncomfortable, it has the freedom to tell stories other mediums struggle with. While it can be violent, its aim has never been to desensitize audiences. It anything, it does the opposite.
